Mahindra wants to use Ford’s B-platform that underpins the EcoSport
In what has turned out to be an interesting turn of events in the Ford-Mahindra partnership, Mahindra is working on finalizing two new agreements with Ford - “One is using the Aspire platform for the next electric vehicle of Mahindra and the second one is using Ford’s B-platform for an upcoming Mahindra product," Dr. Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, Mahindra and Mahindra has said.
Ford and Mahindra had stated that they're looking into co-developed B-SUVs. It was expected this area of mutual interest will include Ford borrowing the SsangYong Tivoli's platform from Mahindra for its B-SUV, either the EcoSport successor or its first-ever Hyundai Creta rival in India. However, it has come to light that Mahindra is instead considering borrowing Ford's B-platform that underpins the EcoSport. Indirectly, this means that the B-platform is not going anywhere and the next-gen EcoSport/EcoSport successor in India will sit on an upgraded version of this platform.
In October last year, Mahindra and Ford signed an agreement under which Mahindra will develop and supply a low-displacement petrol engine for use in Ford’s present and future vehicles, beginning in 2020. It will be a BS-VI compliant powertrain which will help the American car maker to extend and strengthen its existing portfolio of petrol engines that currently includes the all-new 1.2- and 1.5-litre Ti-VCT three-cylinder naturally aspirated units.
Also Read: Ford EcoSport range to be updated with new variant and lesser features - Report
Only a few days back, the Ford Aspire Electric was spied. Mahindra will likely make use of this platform to develop its own electric vehicle, possibly the successor to the Mahindra Verito. The powertrain would be developed by Mahindra Electric, though. If earlier reports are to be believed, the Aspire Electric will have a 380-volt NMC Lithium-ion battery pack to run a 50 kW (67.98 PS) electric motor which is good enough to do a top speed of 110 km/h. The upcoming Mahindra's electric sedan will share similar specifications.
The Ford Aspire Electric should go on sale in India later this year, with prices starting at around INR 12 lakh*. As for any possible Mahindra product based on Ford's B-platform, that's unlikely to show up anytime before 2021.